Ways to WOO with SWAG

How do we take the stuff we all get (SWAG) and win others over (WOO) with it?
Read on for my go-to items to boost morale and show off your brand no matter your budget.

Location, Location. Location: The Shelf. Place a shelf in the office with quick grab SWAG. Stickers, buttons, socks, lip balm, key chains, and water bottles. When guests come in, you can walk them past the shelf and see if they would like a little trinket to take home. The leftover shirts from last years BBQ now have a home. They do no good collecting dust in the Marketing closet.

Easy Wins: For those who want to inject brand colors or theme around the office but don’t have a big budget, look to the items folks use daily. Have stickers for laptops, pens, and post-it notes that are logo-ed and themed. My fave – the logo on the coffee mug. It’s easy to justify in the budget. Budget is already established for mugs, pens and post-it notes anyway. Might as well brand them!

Must Haves: While some budgets allow for more robust SWAG offerings, all budgets should make room for one of 3 items.

• The backpack: It is rare to find folks not lugging a laptop from home to work every day. A quality backpack will not only promote your brand, it will keep the company assets safe. Backpacks make a great day one gift additionally for anniversaries, promotions, and retreats create patches or pins to add to the bag to celebrate those moments. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
• The hoodie: The quintessential garb of the millennial workplace. It’s imperative to buy items the team will actually wear. Maybe take a pulse of zippered hoodie or no zipper hoodie. If your office is a little more business casual then, by all means, turn that hoodie into a Patagonia, vest, or polo.
• The water bottle: A vessel to carry your La Croix! The water bottle is an essential item for the team to have.

Special Occasions: Babies, promotions, new hires, OH MY! Having curated or specialty SWAG for big one-off or recurring events (like new hires) can be quick and easy. Every new hire gets the same pack. Babies get a onesie and baby socks (cue the “awww!”). These items don’t spoil or go out of style so you never need fear the over-order. And fun fact, if you’re tight on space, great SWAG vendors will actually store your SWAG for a small fee. Last but not least, set aside a budget for one seasonal item every year. For example, headphones for the first day in the new open concept office or a logoed blanket for a team retreat.

Remember that gift giving is a Love Language. Little gifts show you care and boost morale in big ways.